From The Very Beginning
by Ro221B
Summary: When Percy and Annabeth realised they loved each other... with a little surprise at the end. / For LizCraft :D


**Hi :D**

 **This one shot is dedicated to the absolutely fantabulous** _ **LizCraft**_ **. You're probably getting tired of hearing me say this, darling, but you are amazing and kind and talented and helpful and I really,** _ **really**_ **hope that you never,** _ **ever**_ **forget that.**

 **You're practically my sister because family doesn't end with blood. Thank you for everything - I really wouldn't know where I'd be without you. Thank you for making me laugh, for always being there and for sticking with me even though you're probably fed up with me talking to you about Benedict Cumberbatch and Heronstairs :D**

 **Thank you for being you - the** _ **bestest**_ **friend anyone could ever have and I am so, so,** _ **so**_ **incredibly lucky to know you and be able to call you my friend.**

 **To keyboard invading aliens, our crazy train wreck of PMs, water that will take over the world, me not understanding your sarcasm, and us looking badass on motorcycles whilst cool music plays!**

 **Ro xx**

 **P.S. This is my poor attempt at fluff because we all know that it is not my strong suit - sorry.**

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Asking Percy Jackson about when and how he realised that he loved Annabeth Chase was similar to the answer of the question: _When did people realise that stars didn't disappear with the final echoes of the night?_

Documented or not, they had always been there. Even if nobody realised it, they were there - their light doused, of course, but there all the same.

That, in a way, was what Percy thought was a suitable enough comparison; there had always been something between him and Annabeth whether he realised or not. It didn't just come on suddenly nor did it leave. It was simply there.

Although, if you were interested , then the questions you should be asking weren't _when_ or _how_. They were _why_ and _where_ \- _why_ did Percy love Annabeth, _why_ did she love him in return, _where_ along the line did she accept her feelings for him and _where_ did he do the same.

If you'd like to know the answers, by all means, Annabeth advises you to read on. If you wouldn't... well, Mr. D and Coach Hedge are doing something in the Big House that involves a lot of screaming and could be fun. Percy feels obliged to warn you, however, that Coach Hedge does have his baseball bat with him and Mr. D doesn't take lightly to being called "cupcake".

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Really, Percy loved Annabeth for a lot of reasons. Her independence, her morality, her strength, her bravery and knowledge... But why? Of all the people in the world, what drew Percy to Annabeth?

Maybe it was because of that first night up on Half-Blood Hill when Percy was a confused and frightened early teenager. Maybe it was when he woke up in the Infirmary the following morning and there was a daughter of Athena with princess curls standing there, telling him he drooled in his sleep. Maybe it was when he had been turned into a guinea pig. Maybe it was when Annabeth was falling into Tartarus, begging Percy to let go and he had seen not just his girlfriend but the fearless Goddess from which she was born: strategic, fearless and smart.

Perhaps it was because of all of those things. Corny as it sounds, perhaps Percy and Annabeth were supposed to be together, no matter what happened between them nor what they encountered - an inevitable woven into a prophecy.

Although, Percy was prepared to admit that they hadn't been the best of friends at the start. There wasn't really much hope for a strong friendship if the first words you said to someone was commenting on their drool. Not that that had stopped them from becoming friends. More than that, even.

And, hopefully, a lot more than what they were now. If Annabeth said yes, of course.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Annabeth would like to point out that her first words to Percy Jackson hadn't been _You drool when you sleep._ People quote her on that so much at Camp Half-Blood, she's debated buying T-Shirts with the words printed on.

Her first words, actually, were _He's the one. He must be._ but, if you were picky and wanted the words that she had spoken _to_ him and not _about_ him than the words were _What will happen at the summer solstice?_

They weren't anything special. Your first words to a person never are - it's the last ones that counted. Besides, you couldn't plan what you were going to say to a complete stranger who you had no idea was going to wind up being your everything and more. If you could, Annabeth would know. She was as smart as they come, thank you very much, and would always, always find a way so that fates were in her favour.

Anyway, back to the question. When did Annabeth realise that she loved Percy? It certainly wasn't a love at first sight sort of thing. It was more... frenemies to friends to best friends to whatever they were now.

If Annabeth had to chose the precise moment that she knew that she loved Percy Jackson... she'd have to chose the night he showed her his Achilles heel. Or maybe it was during that final battle with Luke and Kronos when Annabeth had explained that she had ran away as a child, fled from her home when she was seven and how she had met Thalia and Luke.

Her past was a weakness to be wielded against her in battle. Percy was one of the few people she trusted enough to not use her past as a weapon. That was priceless.

And, sappy as it sounded, Annabeth figured that a secured (well, as secure as you can get being a demigod with monsters and myths hidden around every corner... but, then again, normal and secure was boring and the couple would always be up for a good adventure) future with Percy was pretty priceless, too.

If Percy asked the question, of course.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

It was a fairly normal day at Camp Half-Blood. As normal as you can get, really, what with children and teens running around with swords and a centaur telling a man _for the fifth and last time, Dionysus, it won't matter how many times you pour that wine into that glass, it's still going to be water._

What wasn't a normal day, however, was the fact that Piper was tugging on Annabeth's arm. She had a ridiculously strong grip and, Annabeth was sure, an even stronger will.

"Come _on,"_ Piper groaned, giving Annabeth's wrist a sharp tug as they neared the beach.

Annabeth suppressed the urge to sigh as she, again, tried and failed to wriggle her arm out of Piper's vice like grip. "Why are we even going to the beach?" Annabeth's frown deepened as it came into view, the sharp tang of salt and sand hitting her nose. "I was about to beat Leo in sword practice."

Piper snorted and patted her arm reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'm sure there'll be plenty more opportunities for that."

Opening her mouth to reply, Annabeth cut herself short when she saw what was set up on the beach. Percy stood there, blushing and looking extremely nervous, with a bouquet of pale pink roses in his hand. Piper slowly let go of Annabeth's hand as the latter walked towards the son of Poseidon, the sand giving way easily under her feet.

By the time she reached Percy and turned back to look at the hill she and Piper had just been standing on, Piper had disappeared. Probably to give them some privacy.

"What are you doing?" Annabeth laughed nervously and nodded her head towards the flowers.

Percy dropped to the ground, pulling the roses close to his chest. It took Annabeth a moment to realise that he was actually on one knee.

That he was actually... getting down on one knee. For her. To her.

Her jaw dropped against her will.

"Annabeth Chase," He began, his voice shaking, "I've gone over all the ways I could say this to you. None of them feel suitable," Annabeth huffed a laugh, "so I'm just going to wing it.

"You have been by my side since we were twelve years old. We've been through everything together. And now, fourteen years later, I want to go through everything with you again. All of the prophecies and adventures, the quests and the lessons, the days where you're beating me at archery or sword practice or the days where we're in my cabin and I'm beating you at Mario Kart-"

Annabeth gasped dramatically in mock betrayal. "I beat you and you know it."

Percy grinned. "What I'm trying to say is that..." He took a deep breath and, unconsciously, so did Annabeth, "I want to live it all of over again. Only, this time, with you as my wife."

With his free hand, Percy pulled out a black velvet box. Inside was a ring. Beautiful and delicate. "So, if you'll have me, Annabeth Chase, will you marry me?"

The gasp Annabeth let out wasn't faked or dramatic. It was genuine and held an undertone of _Oh, gods, pinch me because I know this is a dream-_

And she was nodding. And smiling. And laughing. And Percy was doing the same as he shakily placed the ring on her finger, stood from the ground and gave her the flowers. Annabeth was still nodding long after the ring was on and she didn't care how much of a fool she must have looked like.

Percy blew out a breath. "You know, I was really expecting you to say no."

Annabeth looped her fingers through his, the cool weight of the ring a little reminder of all that was yet to come. "You're such a Seaweed Brain." He laughed. "Why would you think that?"

"I don't know, Wise Girl," the nickname flooded her with an emotion that was beautifully indescribable. "I really don't know."

For a fragment of a second, Annabeth was taken back to the day she had first seen Percy Jackson - when he was on top of Half-Blood hill, sweating and bloody and afraid. And she decided that the love she felt for Percy wasn't strung from just one event.

No.

It was there from the very beginning.

And perhaps that was why her first words were what they were. _He's the one. He must be_. Because he was the one for her.

She had known all along.


End file.
